Forever and always
by Ms animefan
Summary: Misaki's still waiting for Usui since the day he got kidnapped by his family. He promised her that they would be together, forever and always. But will he ever fulfill that promise?
1. A Proposal!

**~Forever and Always~**

"Misaki?"

His voice broke the silence between them, and the young lady sitting opposite him lifted her head to meet his tangerine eyes. Feeling her unwavering gaze on him, he started to feel uncomfortable and shifted uneasily in his seat, the sides of his collar dampening, his eyes not daring to return her gaze.

Sensing that something was amiss, Misaki placed her fork down and spoke.

"What's wrong?"

Shintani refused to meet her gaze, and he was now sticking one hand into his pocket and digging for something as a crimson blush started to form on his cheeks.

_Oh no. _

Misaki froze in her seat and felt her hands go cold as the question she'd been avoiding wound through her head.

_Was he proposing to her now? In this restaurant? Today?_

After what seemed like ages of fumbling, Shintani finally produced a little dainty velvet box from his pocket as Misaki looked on with sheer horror. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring.

It was a proposal.

_Oh my goodness!_

At a loss for words, Misaki couldn't do anything but to watch on. Shintani looked squarely into her eyes with the determined look of a young, responsible adult.

"Misaki, will you marry me?"

The tension in the atmosphere was palpable.

He finally did it. Misaki felt her mouth go dry.

"Just say it, Misaki. Yes or no"

Shintani was still staring at her with hope in his eyes. She shifted her gaze from him to her half-eaten steak on the plate. The food was getting cold.

"I…I…"

Shintani extended his hand and gently touched hers on the table. It was warm.

"Misaki, say it."

He was right, she should. Since he had mustered his courage to propose to her, she should do the same to tell him the truth.

"Alright," Misaki exhaled, steeling herself to meet his steady gaze once more. He was her friend and that's what he'll be for the rest of her life.

A friend. Someone she had to protect and take care of. The image of a chubby boy flashed in her mind.

"…No…"

She'd said it straight to his face, hoping that he would accept the painful reality. But it was equally painful to watch him accept it. Staring at the half-eaten steak now, Misaki excused herself.

"I…I have to go. I'm sorry Shintani."

Misaki stood up abruptly, grabbed her bag and walked hurriedly towards the exit, her heels making quick thump-thump-thump noises on the carpeted floor as tears began to flood her eyes.

It was the 29th of September.

* * *

Without even consciously knowing it, she had walked all the way from the restaurant to his place.

It always happened.

Whenever she was feeling stressed out, she would trade her heels with a pair of track shoes and start running and running and running, and all she could hear was her heavy breathing and the sound of her feet hitting the concrete pavement echoing in the silent neighbourhood.

And as if on cue, her feet would always come to a stop here.

She tilted her head backwards to take a better look of the enormous building, her eyes traveling up each level as she clung on to the hope that he would be there, at the topmost level, where he would always be.

Her little flame of hope extinguished as the apartment was dark and vacant as always. Misaki smacked her forehead with her palm, feeling extremely irritated with herself.

_Give up hope already, Misaki._ _You know it. He's never coming back. _

Tears began to flood her eyes, blurring her vision, as she finally came to an acceptance with reality.

"Baka Usui…"she sniffed.

"I still love you. You said forever and always…"

[to be continued]

miss animefan: hihi :D Hope you enjoyed this fanfic as much as I did writing it. Please review! Thank you very much!

I've actually finished writing this and I'm faced with a dilemma:

Should the ending be a sad one or a happy one? 0.0 Hmmm..


	2. Flashback

A **huge thank you** to everyone who have replied me regarding the ending for this story :D I think i'll stick to a _happy_ one then~

* * *

**Chap Two**

[A few years back. 28th Sept]

In the student council room…

"This goes here…oh, that should be there," Misaki muttered to herself as she carefully sorted out the stack of school documents that loomed menacingly before her. She was alone after school , as usual, while Yukimiura and Kanou headed towards the printing room to retrieve more school documents.

"And…done!" Misaki placed the last document into the box, a smile tilting the corner of her mouth as she finally finished her work. She let out a sleepy yawn and stretched her arms in the air. _I guess I'll tell the duo to stop work and continue tomorrow…_

The sliding door opened abruptly with a loud slam, immediately shattering Misaki's train of thoughts.

"Uh, Usui…" she said, frustration lacing her tone as she turned, expecting to meet those pair of mischievous emerald eyes looking straight at her and his soft spiky blonde hair.

It wasn't Usui.

"Yu-yukimiura…?"

"K-ka-kaichou! Us-usui's been forcefully pushed into a suspicious black vehicle with Maria-sensei! Go look!" the poor boy rattled on madly, his eyes wide with shock and fear, as he frantically jabbed his finger into the direction where it happened.

"What?"

Without any hesitation, the raven-haired girl pushed her chair away. _Usui was being kidnapped? Why didn't he…? Uh…_

"Yukimiura, help me lock up the room. I'm going to find him!"

Before Yukimiura could mutter a reply, Seika High's president had grabbed her school bag with demonic speed and dashed out of the school gates at lightning speed, into the streets.

All Misaki could hear was the crazy pounding of her heart against her ribcage, because of running or worrying she didn't know, and the pounding of her sneakers against the cement pavement. The Sun was beginning to set in the horizon, splashing the sky with pink, orange and yellow hues, like an artist's painting.

She weaved in and out of the crowds, bobbing her head out of the numerous heads in her way to spot any suspicious-looking vehicle that carried the familiar spiky-haired blonde she knew, or Maria-sensei.

_Usui, where are you?_

Her frantic heartbeat was resonating in her eardrums, blocking out the sounds of cars zooming past her and the comments she got from irate passer-bys.

All she could think of was locating Usui.

_Usui, where are you? _

She flew down the pavement, keeping her eyes on the road to spot any tell tale sign of Usui inside one of the cars.

Nothing.

The feeling of defeat and exhaustion wound through her like a snake, enveloping her whole as she collapsed onto a nearby bench.

"Baka Usui, where did you go…?"

The demonic president hung her head and a tear rolled down her cheek slowly, before falling onto her lap.

Then, she heard the familiar chime of her phone. Immediately assuming that it was Usui, she dug it out of her bag and answered, anger slowly rising within her like a lit up flame.

"**Usui! Wh-**"

"Misaki, where are you? You're late for work…"

It was just her boss. Disappointment filtered through her.

"Can I take a day off today? I'm not feeling well…," she replied wearily.

_Baka Usui, you can't just leave me like this…_

_

* * *

_

[At home]

"Usui…pick up the phone…"Misaki murmured as she re-dialled his number for the umpteenth time, only to hear his voicemail. He never replied her numerous messages regarding his whereabouts either.

"Ugh…"

Feeling utterly useless, Misaki buried her head in her hands before putting her cell phone aside and willing herself to focus on her revision. She eyed her cell phone every once in a while ready to grab the phone when Usui replied her message or call back.

Nothing happened.

* * *

Miss animefan: Heyas! I've finally updated! HOpe that you've enjoyed this chapter~ Please read and review! Thank you~


	3. Flashback2

Chapter 3

[29th September]

"Someone sent you a bouquet of white roses today," Susannah droned monotonously as soon as she caught sight of her elder sister returning home from work.

"A…bouquet?"

Misaki repeated like a five year old, her eyes widening as she tried to take in what was happening.

_Who would send her a bouquet? _

"Yup. I've placed it in your room. That person must like you very much," Susannah continued nonchalantly, before turning back to flip the magazine she was reading.

_Oh my goodness…_

She cautiously approached the sweet-smelling bouquet placed on her desk, picking it up to examine it. There were a bunch of white roses carefully arranged into a bundle, wrapped in a pink paper with a ribbon in the front. The President fingered the soft petal of one rose, slowly running her fingers round the curved edge before finding the gift card concealed among the roses, her heartbeat accelerating as she slowly opened it.

It read: Dear Misaki, Happy 18th birthday! I'm sorry that I couldn't have told you sooner, I wanted to, but due to the sudden change of events, it was too late. I'm going to Europe for an important business trip with the Walker family. I don't know when I'll be back, but please wait for me. I'm sorry I can't celebrate such a special occasion with you, but I promise that I'll make up for it. I love you forever and always.

Usui

Tears formed in Misaki's eyes as she read it, blurring those words on the card.

_How could Usui do this to her? Why?_

Her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on the card, smudging the black pen ink.

"Baka Usui…" she sniffed, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away her tears.

"I love you too…forever and always," she muttered, clasping the silver apartment key that was attached to the back of the card.

The key to Usui's apartment.

* * *

[Now]

Having walked away from Usui's apartment, Misaki wondered if she should return home. If she were right, Shintani would be there, waiting for her with her mother and sister. She couldn't bear to see his face after having rejected him, nor her family members' reactions towards her decision. It would've been a **huge** blow to anyone.

They had been dating for a year now and yet…Misaki didn't feel the same way she felt when she was with Usui.

Every time Shintani hugged her,_ she _pulled away.

Every time Shintani tried to hold her hand, _she_ would quickly move hers away, pretending to straighten her blouse or touch her hair.

Every time Shintani wanted to kiss her, _she_ pretended to find something in her bag.

_It would __**never**__ be the same_.

Shintani knew, but he was adamant on going out with her, telling her that he would win her heart one day.

Misaki knew, that it would never happen. Her heart would always be with _Usui_ and no one else.

Taking a quick glimpse at her wristwatch, she realized how late it was and panicked.

It was too late to go home now. Having no choice, she retraced her steps and headed towards Usui's apartment, not knowing what she would find.

* * *

Miss animefan: Woot~! The third chapter is out! I hope it's to your liking :D Please read and review! Thank you!


	4. His apartment

Hellos! Thank you for reviewing~! Here is the next chapter! ^^ or second last chapter :(

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It felt like an eternity when the elevator reached the highest floor of the lavish building. Misaki's heart hammered erratically as she stood inside it, listening to the light jazzy music that played overhead and gawking at how intricately decorated the lift was, with a soft red carpet underneath her two feet and the detailed (most probably hand-carved) gold designs on the three walls of the lift.

The elevator let out a melodious 'ding' and its polished metallic doors slid open. Whoosh. A blast of cold air hit her face as the raven-haired girl cautiously stepped out and surveyed her surroundings before her feet automatically took her to Usui's apartment as if in a spell.

Just standing in front of the door made her nervous as hell, her heart responding by beating even faster. Her left hand automatically gripped the strap of her handbag, something she did when she felt nervous, and she bit her lip.

_Oh my goodness..._

The last time she'd stood here was so long ago, that she couldn't even remember when and yet it still looked the same.

She wiped her sweaty palms against her crumpled blouse before extracting the key to Usui's door.

The silver key's weight in her hands made her calm down a little bit. She ran her fingers through its jagged edges.

_Usui…_

Her thoughts lingered to him and images of his face and his distinct emerald eyes appeared in her mind. _She missed him so much_.

Even though she was already in front of his door, could she even open it by herself?

Misaki positioned the key in her hand to slot it into the lock and tried to steady her quivering hand.

When the key was finally slotted into the lock, she hesitated.

_Should she be doing this? Was this right?  
_

An internal battle took place within her. One part of her yearned to see the inside, while another part of her warned her not to.

_To unlock, or not to unlock?_

Inhaling deeply in an effort to calm her racing heart, she tightened her grip on the cold silver key and turned it.

She couldn't even breathe. Click.

The first thing that entered her vision was the magnificence of the city under the night sky. It was as beautiful as always, the only thing that hadn't changed these years. Stars peppered the navy blue sky and sparkled, winking at her, somehow trying to tell her something on their own. The moon hung lazily in the sky, while numerous buildings of different sizes dotted the space below her.

Her gaze flickered from the sky to the nearby couch, which was draped with a white sheet. The coffee table was still next to the couch as it always had been. She placed her handbag on the table and removed the sheet. She looked at Usui's kitchen and the time when he wanted her to slice bunny apples popped up in her mind like a jack-in-the-box.

All those memories she had tried to lock away in her heart came flooding out, like little jigsaw puzzles being put together to form a complete picture.

Her first meeting with Usui, Usui's bandaged arms, his messily buttoned up shirt…

It was _too_ much for her to bear.

Usui's apartment key unlocked all her memories of him, which she had been trying to forget.

_The image of the words forever and always written in Usui's handwriting resurfaced in her mind..._

All these were too overwhelming. She took out the key and closed her cold hands over the metal.

She remembered those high school days when Usui would come to her rescue, and how he never failed to help her whenever she got into trouble. He was like a knight in shining armor. Or rather, an outer-spaced alien wearing some knightly armor.

_"You outer-spaced alien!"_

Misaki's knees buckled and she collapsed onto the couch, the couch that Usui used as a bed to sleep on, the couch that both of them sat on when Usui hugged her. She covered her face with her hands as her shoulders started to shake.

"Baka Usui, you said forever and always, but...where the hell are you now? I don't want to grow old without you..."

A fresh batch of tears trickled down her cheeks in a never ending flow and she cried out to her heart's content, till those profound feelings of loss, hurt, disappointed and anger faded away.

_Baka Usui...you said forever and always, so why did you leave me?_

Her eyelids started to feel heavy and she struggled to keep them open, but she was too tired. Not before long, she drifted into sleep, the silver key still held tightly in her hand. 

_

* * *

_Extra :D [Seika High concert band]

Imagine the maid sama characters in band :D

Misaki would definitely be the **conductor**~ [she'd most probably break the instruments without much force too -,-]

Sakura ~ **Flute **[she just fits :)]

Yukimura~ **Clarinet **[well, he's kinda girly, plus soft, like a clarinet]**  
**

Shizuko~** trombone **[i hve no idea -.-]**  
**

The idiot trio~ **percussion **[they can get a good view of Misaki]

**Usui~ SAXOPHONE! **[he would look so COOL]**  
**

Shintani~** trumpet! **[loud and lively]**  
**

Aoi~ **xylophone **[he just looks cute..o.o]

Kanou~ **Euphonium** [hmm...]

* * *

Will be updating the **final** chapter once reviews are made! Thank you for reading!


	5. Reunion?

Heyas! Sorry to keep you waiting! I hope you'll enjoy this final chapter! Thank you for reading :)

* * *

**Final chapter**

The stillness in the air was so tangible, even the slightest sound would be magnified in the silence**, **shattering the calmness that descended upon the apartment. The stars illuminating the pitch black sky shone brightly and twinkled, as if trying to send an encrypted message to the people they were watching over. All the buildings outside the apartment windows were already enveloped in darkness, save for a few solitary glowing lights in the houses that lay scattered over the area. A car would zoom past the building occasionally, disrupting the silence of the city before everything was quiet once more as it faded into the darkness beyond.

The dark figure in the lying on the couch was already sound asleep. Her chest heaved in and out rhythmically and she still clutched the cold silver key close to her chest.

The silence of the apartment was broken when the door unlocked softly with a 'click' and creaked open slowly, letting beams of light from the outside to spill onto the carpeted floor, painting it a light shade of yellow…

The blonde gentlemen dressed in a crisp tuxedo shuffled in and shut the door behind him wearily. A soft sigh escaped from his lips as he released his hold on his heavy briefcase and turned to walk towards the couch when he got the shock of his life.

_Who on earth was sleeping on his couch? Wasn't he the only one with the keys to the apartment?_

With his blood pulsing through his veins, he approached this 'sleeping intruder' with caution, his fists closed and ready to punch the hell out of whoever this was, when his eyes fell on that familiar raven black hair and he recognised those soft pink lips he had been yearning to kiss since forever.

_Ayuzawa…?_

The name sprung up into his mind like a jack-in-a-box, unlocking his memories of her, sucking him back into those school days at Seika High. Misaki, the infamous demonic president who ruled over the school with an iron fist and heart stepped into his life one day due to a chance meeting when he was strolling down the streets one day. He remembered those moments as if it happened a day ago. He never forgot the way she blushed; how the crimson blush would slowly creep up her face or how adorable she was dressed in the cafe latte maid outfit, her gentle disposition totally out of sync with the devilish image she held in school. It was as if she had a split personality. A sudden craving to eat bunny apples overwhelmed him, and a smile crept up his lips. He relaxed his clenched fist. 

_Aw man, what he would give to taste Misaki's bunny apples once more_.

But none of this could compare to the side that she revealed to him when they were both alone, that really made him want to just grab her and kiss her...and do all sorts of stuff to her. The vulnerability and shyness that were reflected in those orange orbs. And her smile that always took his breath away, making him want to embrace her in his arms there and then, and never let go...

His lips parted and he whispered the name of his lover.

"Ayuzawa…"

He knelt down beside the sleeping princess and caressed the side of her face as a whirlwind of emotions enveloped him.

The pain and anguish that he had to endure not seeing her smiling countenance nor hear her voice calling out his name. Most importantly, the pain that she had to live with every single day of her life with no knowledge of what had happened to him. The pain that he had caused her to suffer from.

_You're suffering too right?_ _  
_

"Baka…Usui.."

_These words snapped Usui's train of thought. Was he merely imagining what he had heard? Or was it really Misaki saying these words in front of him?_

Misaki stirred in her sleep, before repeating what she had said unconsciously.

"Baka…Usui…"

Her eyebrows knitted together upon saying this before reverting back to normal. Usui couldn't hold back his laughter._ Was she dream talking?_

"Ayuzawa…"

He loved repeating her name. _How long was it since he had spoken her name?_ He wracked his brain for an answer. It was an eternity ago.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he inched towards Misaki, brought her sleeping face close to him and kissed her tender lips softly and gently, with all the passion he had for her. He missed her so badly. She was always his first thought of the day when he woke up, and the last thought he had before he went to sleep.

_How was she doing? Was she doing fine? Has she been eating well? Is she still the same Ayuzawa he knew?_ These thoughts circled his mind every time without fail and he wished that he could just hop onto a plane back to Japan, away from this wretched company just to see her again.

A pang of guilt hit him when he tasted the her salty tears, slowing slicing his heart into a million little pieces.

Misaki, still thinking that she was in a dream, responded to the sweet kiss passionately and placed her hands on Usui's face. The silver key she had grasped so tightly before slipped through her fingers and tumbled underneath the couch with a loud thud, but no one noticed it.

She ran her fingers through his silky hair and didn't let go…

Overwhelmed by this side of Misaki he had never encountered before, Usui broke the kiss and moved backwards to catch his breath.

"Usui...Don't leave me anymore…" Misaki mumbled weakly. Then something clicked.

The sleeping beauty struggled to lift her swollen eyes and rose from the couch, rubbing her eyes wearily. _Was this a dream?_

The vision of the blurry figure before her sharpened and adjusted to the darkness. Her heart stopped when she saw him.

It felt so surreal. The oh-so-familiar mischievous eyes, that charming, heart-stopping smile he was flashing at her right now, his spikey golden hair.

"Am i dreaming...?" That question hung in the air and slowly faded away. Without even having the time to respond, Usui wrapped her in a tight embrace, not even showing any signs of letting go, as if he was afraid that he would lose her once more if he did release her.

A smile curved the corners of her mouth and she hugged Usui back, taking in his scent and just cherishing the moment.

The warmth of his body against hers, the escalated thumping of her heart against her chest, hearing him call her name…This was all she had waited for all these years. _How long had she been waiting for this moment? How long had she not seen Usui? How long ago was it when she last saw his playful emerald eyes and his boyish grin?_

How long...was it? Misaki shrugged away this thought and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry for leaving you all these years…I missed you terribly. I love you, forever and always," Usui muttered into her ear, his breathing tickling her neck like always, sending shivers of delight up and down her spine. He finally released his hold on her reluctantly and looked her in the eye with intensely.

"Will you forgive me?"

"Silly boy, I forgave you the moment you came back into my life..."

Misaki grabbed Usui's tie, pulled him close to her and kissed him passionately...

The stars in the night sky seemed to be winking in approval of their reunion, as the two lovers were reunited, forever and always.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue (updated)

"Bunny apples, bunny apples!"

A chant filled the air and smothered the silence in the apartment.

"Bunny apples, bunny apples!"

It was a beautiful weekend morning. The golden glowing orb hung in the azure sky, its warm rays penetrating through the clear glass windows, while the cotton white clouds wandered aimlessly in the sky, as if being slowly pulled back and forth by the wind like a puppet.

"Bunny apples, bunny apples!"

The child continued on, and her father now joined in.

"Bunny apples, bunny apples!"

She clapped her hands in delight and let of a light bubbly laugh that bounced off the four walls of the apartment. Her silky raven black hair which was pulled back into a ponytail bounced whenever she laughed. Her straight-cut bangs framed her heart-shaped face , emphasizing her large forest green eyes which seemed shades lighter under the sun's rays.

She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"Bunny-"

"Alright, alright, here they are." A voice intercepted from the kitchen.

Unable to withstand the racket any longer, her mother came out of the kitchen hastily, balancing two plates loaded with neatly and carefully sliced bunny apples. Her green eyes were fixated on the two places as she licked her lips unconsciously. A smile curved the corners of her mouth instantly when the plate landed in front of her.

"Yay!" she exclaimed merrily and punched her little fist in the air before starting to munch on the sweet crunchy apple slices that she loved ever since she was born. She stuffed slice after slice of the sweet delicious apple into her little mouth before chewing on them noisily and letting the apple juice squirt in her mouth, effectively quenching her thirst after such a long chanting session. She polished the last apple slice of her plate like a ravished beast and turned to eye the plate next to her.

"Misaki, feed me…" Usui demanded like an 8 year old and opened his mouth, waiting for the bunny apples to face its doom.

Misaki shook her head and sighed as she fed Usui the 8 year old kid. The blonde looked at his gorgeous wife as she proceeded to stuff another bunny apple into his mouth. Even after having a child, she was still one hot mama. A burning desire to kiss those lips resurfaced again, and he deftly brought her face to his and kissed her.

Misaki was taken aback by this surprise kiss. She could taste the faint sweetness of the apple slice in his mouth as their kiss deepened, and she felt her knees go weak with his passionate kiss. But she broke away from it reluctantly and reminded her husband of their child's presence.

"Usui, we're in front of-"

Before she could complete her sentence, Usui turned to look at those green eyes and asked politely in gentlemanly manner.

"May I?"

Her jade eyes stared right back at him for a moment, before her gaze swept the second empty plate. Her mouth was stuffed full with sliced apples like a squirrel with two cheeks filled with nuts and she munched them at inhuman speed.

After swallowing them, she hopped of her seat and clung on to the legs of her parents.

She tilted her adorable face upwards and pouted.

"What…about Maria?" She asked, her innocent green eyes staring right back at Usui and Misaki.

"Maria wants hug."

The couple laughed and Usui lifted her up in his arms. He pecked her on one cheek and winked.

"Is papa's kiss enough?"

The naughty little girl shook her head vigorously, her large green eyes tinged with sadness.

"I want mama's kiss too…"

"Alright, I'll kiss Maria," Misaki replied and retrieved her daughter from Usui's arms.

She pecked Maria on the other cheek and smiled at her daughter.

"Happy now?"

Maria nodded and shot a saccharine smile back at her mother.

"Uh-huh!"

A sudden thought flashed in Usui's mind.

"I have a strong feeling that something's missing…" He trailed off, racking his brains and trying to figure out what was it that he forgot.

His emerald eyes widened and met Misaki's.

"WHERE'S KEI?"

They shouted in unison.

"Ni-san's still sleeping…" Maria replied a-matter-of-factly and pointed in the direction of the bedroom.

"But I thought he was already awake and seated at the table…" Usui muttered mysteriously.

"Heh! Ni-san crawled back to his bed!" Maria added cheerfully.

Misaki's expression changed like the flip of a switch. The demonic mother was out.

An evil aura rose within her and hovered around her, slowly spreading and inching towards her son's bedroom.

"KEI!" She hollered as she approached his room.

"Wake up!" She lifted up the covers of his blanket, only to find no one.

"Kei…?" she asked as she entered the toilet.

Lo and behold, there laid her son, his head against the closed toilet cover seat, snoozing away. His jet-black spiky hair was messed up and sticking out in all directions and she could see his saliva flowing down the side of his mouth.

"Kei!"

The eyes of the sleeping prince fluttered open to reveal two tangerine orbs fringed by long eyelashes.

"Mmm?" He answered nonchalantly.

And the demonic president unleashed her fury on her son.

Anyway, while the scolding session was going on, Maria and Usui had their eyes glued to the 42-inch liquid crystal display television screen in front of them, their fingers flying rapidly across the keys of their gaming console (at inhuman speed) as they competed to beat each other at the street fighter game.

LIke their players, their characters were fighting at an incredibly fast speed, with the life bar depleting rapidly as both of them did not spare their opponent. Maria unleashed a bonus attack, only seeing the flying orbs getting dodged by the opponent and to be counter-attacked by Usui.

She screamed as she continued to smash the buttons at a frenzied pace when her character was dealt with a severe blow.

"K-O" Flashed on the screen as she saw her character fly backwards in slow motion, before her head hit the hard ground beneath her.

"Player 2 wins."

Maria pouted in response to her defeat, her eyebrows scrunched together. Seems like she had inherited her mother's competitiveness and stubbornness.

She swiveled her head to look at her papa and pointed a finger at him.

"One more time papa! Maria will definitely beat papa! Fair and square!"

Usui raised a questioning brow at his daughter and chuckled under his breath. _Man, like mother like daughter..._He ruffled his blonde spiky hair in had been playing continuously for two hours now and he had won every round without fail (what a selfish father) yet his daughter never gave up. Instead of hurling the controller at the television screen and throwing a tantrum, she flexed her little fingers and continued to devise ways to beat her father once and for all. Her steady gaze on him made him shudder as it was an exact replica of the gaze Misaki gave him when she wanted to defeat him. _Oh well..._

Just as Usui was about to reply, the doorbell rang.

"Ding dong."

Maria looked away and hopped of the seat, grabbed a stool and dashed to the door. Peeping through the keyhole, she spotted the familiar hazel hair and those bags of...food. Delicious food. Her spirits lifted and a smile flashed across her chubby face.

"Godfather's here!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing her arms in the air before leaping off the stool to unlock the door.

"GODFATHER!" She cried out as if there was no tomorrow and flung herself into his arms. She inhaled and took in his refreshing scent.

Hinata smiled at the sight of his goddaughter and carried her in his arms before patting her head.

"So how is my special girl today? Good?"

Maria shook her head vigorously as a pout formed on her mouth. She pointed accusingly at her father, who was now at the door.

"Hey." Usui greeted Hinata and shot him a smile. Hinata smiled back.

"Papa is an outer-spaced alien! I always beat my friends a street fighter but I never seem to beat him!" She rattled on madly before clinging on tightly to Hinata's neck. Then she whispered in his ear, "Can godfather play with me instead?"

"Sure princess." Hinata replied. "Now, get on the ground so that I can bring the food into the house alright? Call mama for me, will you?"

Maria wriggled out of Hinata's grip obediently and scurried find her mother.

"Hinata, you know you shouldn't have-" Usui spoke as he gestured at the bags of food. Even though it was a gathering, he didn't have to go to such extent of buying so much food for the family.

"It's alright, you don't have to worry, I can help to finish everything if there's too much food," he looked at Usui reassuringly and patted his back before bringing in the bags to the kitchen. Hinata was now a renowned chef at a five star hotel, attributing his success to his younger days when he was a food-obsessed boy. Anyway, the food he brought was bought from famous food stalls around the area, which were both Maria and Kei's favourites.

"Oh Shintani, you shouldn't have..."

Misaki took in the sight of the food on the tabletop and smiled at him. Shintani shook his head and took her hands in his.

"It's all I can do for you now, since I can't marry you...thanks to Usui..." His expression changed to one of envy and hatred at the mention of Usui.

"Hey, you're the godfather of the twins already, isn't that good enough?" Misaki reminded him tenderly and removed her hands from his grip. She nodded her head in the direction of the living room.

"Maria's waiting for you to play street fighter with her. Don't keep your lady waiting."

* * *

Few hours later..

Cheers erupted from the living room as both Maria and Kei defeated Hinata in the game again, and the twins hi-fived each other. Hinata pretended to sink in defeat and buried his head in his arms for good effect.

"Hurray! We win again!"

Maria announced triumphantly and punched her fists into the air as she jumped and jumped in glee. Kei, on the other hand, grinned from ear to ear and gave his sister a thumbs-up.

"WHOO!"

Both Usui and Misaki looked on happily and Usui wrapped his arms around his wife and brought her close to him.

"Shintani's a better dad than I am." Usui admitted sadly. Misaki chuckled and pecked him on the cheek .

"Have you...ever wondered what would happen if you ended up with Shintani instead? He would be an awesome father for sure." Usui mumbled in her ear.

"No, because...you were always in my mind, invading my thoughts...You said forever and always," Misaki replied and smiled.

Usui laced Misaki's fingers with his and kissed the top of her hand.

"I won't forget."


End file.
